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The report was immediately rejected by both China and Russia; the latter flatly denied Russian weapons were being sold to Sudan. While the US State Department said each country was responsible for the characterization of its own relationship with Sudan, he advised an "abundance of caution" with regard to any trade relationship with Sudan that might involve the sale of weapons. The UN criticized the government of Sudan for its recent increase of "indiscriminate" aerial bombing campaigns in north Darfur, although the report neglected to mention the specific numbers of bombings that have occurred within the past few weeks.

The Sudanese government rejected handing over two suspects for whom the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants, believing the court has no jurisdiction over the matter. In an attempt to further obstruct ICC trials, the government sentenced two soldiers, both age 16, to death by hanging for their involvement in alleged war crimes. The ICC is prevented by its charter from sending prosecutors unless the country has proven unwilling or unable to conduct its own trials. ICC officials recently toured refugee camps in eastern Chad in efforts to encourage the victims to participate in the impending trials. Sudan and Chad signed a fifth reconciliation deal in Saudi-brokered peace talks, promising to stop arming and supporting rebel factions in each other's territory. The agreement is nearly identical to one signed in Libya last month that has yielded no results.

Several US senators issued a letter to Chinese President Hu Jintao urging China to utilize its leverage to pressure Khartoum to honor its commitments to accept additional peacekeeping contingents and to withdraw its troops from Darfur. This was followed by a resolution demanding China "be held accountable" for its actions, but stopping short of calling for a boycott of the Beijing Olympics. China has responded to pressure from human rights groups by appointing a Special Envoy to Africa, Liu Guijin, whose first priority will be to address the Darfur crisis.

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US TO LEAD UN SECURITY COUNCIL: MUST PRESSURE CHINA

As we approach the end of week three since the United States has held the presidency of the Security Council of the United Nations, there has yet to be any significant movement towards the protection of the people of
Darfur. Last week, China appointed an envoy for African Affairs.

Tell President Bush that now is the most strategic moment to convince China to stop supporting Sudan's oil industry.

E-Mail President Bush Now: http://tinyurl.com/yoakar
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SITUATION ON THE GROUND

The UN High Commission for Refugees condemned Khartoum for a series of aerial bombing campaigns that have been conducted in north Darfur. "The bombardments appear to have been indiscriminate and disproportionate, failing to distinguish between military and civilian targets," said UN spokesperson Michele Montas. "The disproportionate use of force constitutes violations of international humanitarian and human rights law."

On the one-year anniversary of the Darfur Peace Agreement, Oxfam workers say that security has not improved since the agreement, in fact, it has gotten worse. Trucks bring new loads of Darfurians looking to escape the conflict near their home villages on nearly a daily basis. "I turn around and go straight back," said the driver of a cattle car who regularly transports civilians to nearby camps for internally displaced persons. "There are another 3,000 people who want to come here, so I will be driving backwards and forwards for the rest of the year."

Distributing aid is still an enormous challenge, as security for the aid workers is increasingly poor. Hijacking of vehicles and the kidnapping of workers occur on a regular basis. Despite having signed a Joint Communiqué with the UN last month, the government of Sudan is still slow to distribute and renew travel visas for aid workers and continually restricts access to camps and other areas. AU Chairman Alpha Oumar Konare warned that the lack of funding, equipment shortages, and recent attacks of AU soldiers has reduced an already low morale. "The risk is great that everything will collapse," he told an audience in New York during Darfur talks last week.

PROPOSED UN PEACEKEEPING FORCE

The UN and the AU announced that the Congolese Foreign Minister Rodolphe Adada has been appointed as the Special Representative for the joint hybrid UN-AU mission to Darfur. Adada will have overall authority over the 17,000 additional troops and 3,000 police officers that will entail the third phase of the peacekeeping plan set forth by Kofi Annan last November. No reaction from Khartoum has yet been made. The European Union also promised an additional 40 million euros to support the beleaguered AU mission on the ground; several additional donor countries have agreed to establish a separate fund to increase resources for African-led peacekeeping operations. The EU has been criticized for its lack of pressure on Khartoum, particularly that it has not imposed sanctions or raised the Darfur issue with its close trading partner, Russia, who was recently named in a report from Amnesty International as one of two major arms suppliers in Sudan.

The Sudanese government has said that it will not provide the logistics necessary for the accommodation of the additional UN peacekeepers that will comprise the second "heavy" support package without the UN Security Council first authorizing additional funds for the AU mission in Sudan.

THE PEACE PROCESS

The presidents of Sudan and Chad signed a fifth reconciliation deal Thursday during Saudi-brokered peace talks. According to a press statement, "The two sides will adhere to working with the UN and the AU to end the conflict in Darfur and east Chad and realize peace and stability for all." Both sides have been fighting proxy wars by supporting and arming rebel groups in each other's territory, and Janjaweed militia groups were said to be responsible for the late March attacks in eastern Chad that killed some 400 people. "Neither side wants to see their armies engaging each other directly," reported a high level international official. "So that may indeed end ... but that was never really the problem anyway." Libyan President Muammar Gaddafi went so far as to call the agreement "laughable diplomacy" as it is nearly identical to an agreement the countries had signed in Tripoli last month.

UN Special Envoy to Sudan Jan Eliasson said that the peace process in Darfur was nearing "a moment of truth," meaning that a re-opening of peace negotiations is set to take place involving "all parties" to the conflict. He emphasized that political unity on the part of the rebel factions would be an essential component to success. He told reporters that "there will be no quick fix for Darfur but we need to do all we can to mobilize political energy towards a solution." Facing this, Egypt announced a proposal to that would include a "road map" for peace. Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Aboul Gheit said the proposal would include a specific time table and goals that would include punitive measures if these guidelines are not met.

The Sudanese government admitted that it was "a mistake" to sign the Darfur Peace Agreement with only one rebel faction as a signatory; the factions that did not sign then sought to weaken the faction that did sign. The further splintering of rebel factions has made negotiation for a more comprehensive peace plan increasingly difficult. Many former Janjaweed members are shifting allegiances to various rebel factions as they are becoming increasingly disillusioned with the Khartoum government that has failed to deliver on its promises to its mercenary fighters.

The International Crisis Group issued a media release which outlined prospects for revamping the peace process. Its key suggestions include: building an international consensus between key external players, particularly the US and China, regarding the strategy for resolving the crisis; working to unify the rebel leaders to develop a common political agenda; broadening participation in the peace process to include women's groups and civil society, among other groups; and the implementation of punitive, multilateral sanctions against the government of Sudan to end their diplomatic philandering.

INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL COURT

Two ICC officials toured camps in eastern Chad as part of a three-day outreach mission in connection with trials of two former Sudanese officials indicted for war crimes. The officials stressed the rights of victims to participate in the impending trials and to expect that some would be asked to serve as witnesses. Sudan rejected the idea of handing over the two suspects after arrest warrants were issued last week, which may result in severe consequences for Khartoum. "The government should have had the wisdom to bend to the will of the ICC. Now it will have to face grave consequences -- the issue will move from a simple demand for the suspects to be handed over to a possible showdown with the Security Council," said Sudanese professor of International Law Sheikh Eddin Shiddo. He believes if the Security Council becomes involved, it will result in the imposition of sanctions under UN mandate.

The execution of two low-ranking military intelligence officials, both aged 16, days before the ICC issued the arrest warrants for two senior officials indicted for war crimes marked Khartoum's latest attempt to obstruct the ICC trials. Under the ICC's founding statute, the court may only prosecute in the event that the country has proven unwilling or unable to conduct its own trials; the Special Criminal Court on the Events in Darfur is Khartoum's "attempt to convince the international community that it can hold war crimes trials at home." Many argue, however, that the special court is a sham and that "there is zero possibility that it will address any of the senior people in which the ICC is interested."

Sudan has insisted that it has found no evidence to try former interior minister Ahmed Haroun, as he had "no direct link to military operations in Darfur." Plans to try him on unspecified charges have been delayed indeterminately.

INTERNATIONAL ACTION

A report released by Amnesty International found "the irresponsible transfer of arms to Sudan and its neighbors are a significant factor in the human rights catastrophe in Darfur and its spread into eastern Chad." The report said that "the bulk" of these arms were from China and Russia, although both countries quickly denied the charges. Chinese spokeswoman Jiang Yu said that "China does not sell arms to regions under UN embargo" and Russian Foreign Ministry flatly issued a statement that "no Russian weapons have been shipped to Darfur." US State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said it was "up to China" to characterize its military ties, but "in light of the situation ... it would seems prudent to exercise an abundance of caution in any kind of trade relationship with Khartoum that involves the sale of weapons."

Rwandan President Paul Kagame again threatened to withdraw some 2,000 Rwandan troops from the 7,000-strong peacekeeping contingent in Darfur. In a recent lecture in New York City, Kagame said "This is ringing an alarm bell; things are not good and the international community needs to act and if not there is no purpose in us being there. We put the persons on the ground, the persons are there, but the capacities are not being fully realized. Probably 30 percent of their capacities are being put to good use, and the other 70 percent would be realized if they were given the right tools at the right time to carry out their work. This has not happened." The African Union again appealed for additional funding for the operation, saying that the funds were "critical" to keeping the mission afloat.

All but four US Senators issued a letter to Chinese President Hu Jintao urging him to step up pressure on Khartoum to follow through with its promise to accept the UN support plan to restore stability to Darfur and withdraw troops from the region to ward off an "impending PR disaster" concerning calls to boycott what some have termed the "Genocide Olympics." Sens. Sam Brownback (R-Kansas) and Robert Menendez (D-NJ) proposed a resolution Wednesday demanding that China "be held accountable to act consistently with the Olympic Standard of preserving human dignity in Darfur, Sudan and around the world" but stopped short of calling for a boycott of the Beijing Olympics. Sen. Brownback is the first presidential candidate to officially divest personal financial holdings from companies that support the government of Sudan.

Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX) said recently that US priorities in Sudan should focus on strengthening US support of the African Union mission and divesting government holdings in companies that support Khartoum. She added, "I think it's a good, good approach ... that makes a firm statement, the same kind of statement that China should make." Rep. Steny Hoyer (D-MD) and Sen. Russ Feingold (D-WI) also sent a letter to President Bush following a recent visit to the troubled region asking him to "use all possible tools of leverage" to ensure that Sudan follows through with its commitment to accept additional peacekeepers, and also to ensure that aid agencies have access to Darfurians. Fifteen prominent Republicans also sent President Bush a similar letter urging him to "authorize the actions outlined on April 18th," the day Bush promised to impose sanctions if government action on Darfur was not seen quickly.

The State Department's Jendayi Frazer issued a response to these letters with one of her own which highlighted the results of her recent trip to Africa and President Bush's "personal commitment" to ending the conflict and that the administration is pursuing all fronts -- humanitarian, security, and diplomatic -- to reach a sustainable solution. The US has asked French President-Elect Nicolas Sarkozy to play a bigger role in resolving the crisis in Darfur, particularly concerning the imposition of a "no-fly" zone over the western region.

Senators concerned with conflicting statements on Sudan its 2006 report on state-sponsored terrorism sent a letter to the director of the Committee of Intelligence that sponsored the report and asked for an explanation of Sudan's recent characterization. The report condemned Sudan as a state sponsor of terrorism on one hand and also called it a "strong partner in the war on terror" and commended its "aggressive pursuit of terrorist threats directly involving threats to US interests in Sudan." In response to the report, Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR) expressed their concern that the labeling of Sudan as a strong ally in the war on terror while it remains a state sponsor of a genocide that has killed 200,000 people must be a "paradox."

China's Foreign Ministry promised that it would send 300 engineers as part of the "heavy" support package Khartoum recently agreed to accept, although no specific departure date was mentioned. This is the first active support of the UN mission that China has made in since the conflict began. In Washington, Chinese officials have been working to deflect negative attention they fear might overshadow the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. The Chinese recently issued invitations to members of the Congressional Black Caucus and activist groups to meet with high-ranking embassy officials eager to outline the major steps China has taken to support the peace process. Larry Rossin of the Save Darfur Coalition said that invitation "came out of the blue. I think they might be afraid of a boycott movement, or anything that might cast a cloud over what is a huge coming out event for them."

China also recently appointed a special envoy to Africa in response to recent clamoring over China's involvement in Sudan. Liu Guijin, former ambassador to South Africa and Zimbabwe, will focus on the situation in Darfur will be his first priority. Many hope this has signaled a shift in policy regarding China's position in Darfur that might finally result in the deployment of a 20,000 strong peacekeeping contingent in Darfur.

Fidelity Investments recently released its first-quarter regulatory filings which indicated that its has cut 91 percent of its investments in PetroChina in the face of mounting pressure from human rights groups urging divestment. Shareholders in Warren Buffet's Berkshire Hathaway rejected a proposal to divest a $3.3 billion holding in PetroChina, the largest oil contractor doing business in Sudan. Berkshire's vice-chairman, Charles Munger, said any "vigilante action" in a "matter of foreign policy was best left to the US government." Lawmakers in Florida are putting forth legislation to divest $118 billion in state pension funds in companies that contract extensively with the Sudanese government, and investors in Utah are contemplating doing the same. In a recent interview, Sudan Divestment Task Force Director Adam Sterling urged personal investors to also withdraw their money from these targeted companies, but to be sure that the firm is notified of the reason for selling. "If you sell and explain why, then the firm will understand the repercussions of that investment," Sterling said.P

Africa Action issued a press release urging the United States to use its May tenure as president of the UN Security Council to make resolving the Darfur crisis a priority by rallying multilateral support for the peacekeeping mission and by utilizing appropriate levers to counter obstacles within the Security Council for a larger peacekeeping mission or for enacting aggressive punitive measures against Khartoum should they neglect to follow through on their agreements. The Enough Project also released its second strategy paper on Darfur, this time about giving the elusive "Plan B" teeth, which would include a greater multilateral backing for the plan and reinforce divestment efforts against "worst offender" companies that support Khartoum.

INTERNATIONAL ACTIVISM

A nationwide high school fundraising campaign involving more than 2,000 high schools raised $300,000 as part of the "Dollars for Darfur" initiative that will be used to support the Save Darfur Coalition. An event Sunday in Brooklyn raised funds as part of a campaign called "Drumming for Darfur" that helped to educate the public and raise funds for local Sudanese refugees. The Tribeca film festival also featured Brian Steidle's documentary "The Devil Came on Horseback," which depicted photographs and video footage from his six-month stay observation in Darfur as a US Marine in 2004.

A group of STAND activists at the University of California-Irvine rallied Sunday to raise awareness for US inaction in Darfur. The group hoped to educate students and community members about options for community involvement in resolving the crisis. Students at Colby University in Maine also organized a Global Forum dedicated to fundraise for the people of Darfur, and featured testimony from a Sudanese woman who returned to Darfur to work as a humanitarian for World Vision and Doctors Without Borders.

GI-Net Representative Mia Farrow lobbied the Massachusetts state legislature to support divestment legislation that would divest public pension funds from business that support the Sudanese government that uses the majority of its budget to purchase military assets. STAND activists at Northeastern University organized a rally aimed at Fidelity Investments that featured testimony from Rep. James McGovern. Actors Don Cheadle, George Clooney, and Matt Damon plan to use the launch of their new film "Ocean's Thirteen," due out this summer, to support relief efforts in Darfur. Don Cheadle recently co-authored a book with Enough's John Prendergast entitled Not on Our Watch: The Mission to End Genocide in Darfur and Beyond.

SPECIAL REPORTS & COMMENTARY

New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof recalled his relationship with a former translator, Daoud Hari, a Darfurian who is now living in the United States after being captured, tortured and nearly executed in Sudan. Kristof argued that unlike in past genocides, which had few outspoken activists until after the fact, the genocide of our time is ongoing and we have the tools to witness and actively advocate against it. In another recent article, Kristof discussed the implications of the "numbed by numbers" phenomenon; that is, that people are often motivated to act to save an individual rather than an entire group or those affected by a larger global trend of tragedy. He noted people donated nearly $48,000 to save a puppy trapped on a ship but seem relatively unconcerned about nearly two million Sudanese whose lives hang in the balance. Maybe, Kristof suggested, Darfur needs to be dressed up as a cute puppy with floppy ears and big droopy eyes in order to galvanize action on behalf on the people who remain in Darfur.

Eric Reeves lamented that eight months after the passage of UN Security Council Resolution 1706, which authorized the deployment of 22,500 UN peacekeepers to the Darfur region, only a handful of blue helmets have actually been deployed. Even the recent grudging acceptance of the second "heavy support package" of a three-phase plan holds little promise to drastically improve the security situation in Darfur. The second phase, he argues, "is not the description of a force that can change in significant ways the ability of the force on the ground to conduct an appropriate number of patrols, secure the camps, or protect humanitarian operations and personnel."

An op-ed from the director of the Darfur Centre for Human Rights and Development discussed the lack of tangible diplomatic progress in Darfur, despite US government assurances to the contrary. She said the next step is tough action against the government of Sudan, including confiscation of key assets of government officials, increased support for ICC action, action against countries who deal arms to Sudan, and a sustained effort to re-engage rebel groups that have been marginalized by the peace process.

A piece from The New Republic depicted a recent sojourn by a reporter into Chad, who noted that the Darfur crisis may not just be a power play between groups competing for limited resources, but may also include a deeper religious undercurrent, as Sudan struggles to balance moderate and radical Islamic factions within Darfur.

The text of Steven Spielberg's private letter to the Chinese president was recently made public; the prominent filmmaker echoed the call for China "change its policy toward Sudan ... and use its considerable influence to lead efforts by the international community to end the human suffering there." An op-ed from the The New York Sun however, suggested that China is not the only enabler of the Khartoum government and argued that American investors in China have contributed to the problem by looking the other way as China has maintained a dismal human rights record while allowing its economy to rapidly aggregate. The author suggested that this practice of sidelining ethical considerations from financial transactions in China should seriously be re-considered.

A podcast from the Committee on Conscience featured commentary about the recently-released poll concerning world opinions on intervention for humanitarian reasons. The survey indicated there would be a significant amount of international support for multilateral intervention in Sudan, particularly if ground results were positive and a tangible goal was achieved. A new documentary from a Dubai-based television station features raw footage and emotional interviews with victims of the conflict in Darfur that is available from the International Crisis Group.